Why I'm going all in on the new 'cluttercore' interiors trend

Have you heard about the latest interior trend? Cluttercore.

Essentially it’s an anti-minimalism look that, well, celebrates untidiness.

On a good day, the style is a wonderful mash up of things that are artfully huddled together and create a rainbow of colour, texture, layers and ultimately, interest. On a bad day, another interpretation could be this look is just a good old-fashioned mess.

I’m all for loving your house, getting in touch with your style and being inspired by the latest trends. Full disclosure, minimalism was not for me. I love things and stuff too much.

I love rooms that have bits and bobs all over them – quietly telling the story of someone’s life. I want to see that old plate you discovered when you dug up the garden, the first grown-up vase you bought when you moved out of home, that little watercolour painting you found at a market by the beach, the tiny pottery dish your first-born made for you and I want to see your mad moments when you let loose and splash daring colours on a wall or go crazy with wallpaper.

But despite my instinct and unwavering passion for cluttercore, I’m here to tell you that this trend has the ability to go very wrong, very fast.

I can literally see my teenage daughters declaring their piles of washing, completely disorganised desks and dressing tables that resemble Sephora at the end of a busy Saturday are in fact all “on trend” and rather than abhor my daughters’ messiness, I should feel proud. Heaven help me.

I can also see my husband, who empties out his pockets daily and expels the contents that stretch from coins, tickets, mints, dog paraphernalia, a rogue Air Pod, often a shoelace (no idea why) and receipts galore, all over whatever surface he first finds when he walks in the door. I can picture him proclaiming the artefacts of his pockets and the little hills of rubbish he creates are in fact the latest form of fashionable styling and I had better get with the program.

Even the dog will buy into it, with the socks he steals and leaves scattered all around the house, alongside a collection of tennis balls, bones and sticks – he too is a clutterer from way back.

So there you have it; messiness and disheveledness is back.

A word of warning, there’s no guidance given about how one employs this trend when it comes to styling a home to sell, so I’m going to give it to you straight: “cluttercore” should never be seen in a house that is for sale and trying to attract bidders. Trust me, you would put off even the most broad-minded and imaginative buyer.

As for me, I’m going to go in hard on this trend. Just please don’t tell the rest of my family.